About godparents parents

Many of us were baptized in infancy and can’t remember how it happened. And once we are invited to become a godmother or godfather, or maybe even happier – we have our own child is born. Then we once again think about what the Sacrament of Baptism, can we become someone godparents and how to choose the godparents for their child. In today’s post – the responses of Archpriest Maxim Kozlov to questions about the responsibilities of godparents.

– I was invited to be the godfather. What am I going to do?

– To be a godfather – and honorable, and responsible.

Godparents mother and father, participating in the Sacrament, take on the responsibility for a small member of the Church, so they must be Orthodox. The godfather, of course, being the person who also has some experience of Church life and will help your baby to grow in faith, piety and purity.

During the Sacrament over the baby’s godfather (of the same gender as the child) will keep him in my arms, to speak on his behalf Symbol of faith and vows of renunciation of Satan and connection with Christ.

Most importantly, what can and should help godfather, and what he undertakes, is not only to attend the Baptism, but then help received from the font to increase, to grow in the Church life, and in any case not to limit their Christianity only by the fact of Baptism. According to Church teaching, for how we take care of discharging their duties, we will be judged in the last judgment, as and for the upbringing of our own children. So, of course, responsible and very very big.

– What to give to a godchild?

– Of course, you can give your godchild a cross and chain, no matter what they’re made of; the main thing is that the cross was a traditional form adopted in the Orthodox Church.

In the old days was the traditional Church christening gift for is a silver spoon, which was called “the gift by heart,” she was the first spoon, which was used when feeding baby with a spoon when he started there.

Importantly, the criterion of your choice godfather or godmother was whether this man subsequently help you in a good, Christian education received from the font, and not only in practical circumstances. And, of course, an important criterion should be the extent of our acquaintance and just predannosti our relationship. Think about whether your chosen godparents Church educators of their child or not.

– Is it possible that the person was only one God parent?

– Yes, this is possible. It is important only to the God-parent of the same sex as the godson.

– If one of the godparents cannot be present at the Sacrament of Baptism, is it possible to carry out the ritual without it, but record it in your godparents?

Up to 1917 there was a practice of correspondence godparents, but it was applied only to persons of the Imperial family when they are in the sign of Royal or princely grace agreed to be considered as the godparents of a baby. If we are talking about a similar situation, do so, and if not, then perhaps it is better to proceed from generally accepted practices.

– And who may not be a godfather?

– Of course, cannot be the godparents of non-Christians – atheists, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and so on, no matter how close friends of the parents of the child and no matter how agreeable people they are.

Exception – if there is no near relatives located to Orthodoxy, and in good manners non-Orthodox Christian you believe – then the practice of our Church allow one of the godparents to be representative of other Christian denominations: Catholic or Protestant.

According to the wise traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church, the husband and wife cannot be the godparents of the same child. Therefore, you should consider if you and the person with whom you want to create a family, are invited to become sponsors.

– And who from relatives can be a godfather?

– Aunt or uncle, grandma or grandpa can be the godparents of their young relatives. You should only remember that the husband and wife are the godparents of one child can not be. However, we can think about it this way: our close relatives will still take care of the baby, to help us to educate him. Been deprived do we in that case a little person to love and care, because he could be one or two more Orthodox adults friend to whom he could apply throughout your life. This is especially important in the period when the child seeks authority outside the family. Godfather at this time, in any case not in opposition to the parents, would be the person who trusts the teenager, who even asks for advice about what does not dare to tell their loved ones.

– Can I refuse godparents? Or cross out the child for a normal upbringing in the faith?

– The child in any case cannot be crossed, because the Sacrament of Baptism is performed only once, and no sins nor godparents, his parents or relatives, or even the person does not cancel all those gifts of grace that are given to us in the Sacrament of Baptism.

As far as communication with God, then, of course, betrayal of faith, that is, the falling away in these or other non-Orthodox denominations – Catholicism, Protestantism, especially the falling away in certain non-Christian religions, atheism, grossly impious lifestyle – essentially saying that the person has failed in its duty godmother. The spiritual Union that is enclosed in this sense the Sacrament of Baptism, can be considered terminated from the godmother or godfather, and you can ask another votserkovlenija godly man, so he took the blessing from his spiritual father in carrying the cares of the godfather or godmother of a particular child.

– I was invited to be godmother of the girl, but I do say that the first is necessary to baptize the boy. Is this true?

– Superstitious notion that a girl’s first godson must have a boy and what is accepted from the font baby girl will be an obstacle for subsequent marriage, has no Christian roots and is an absolute falsehood, which was Orthodox Christian to be guided does not have.

– They say that one of the godparents must be married and have children. Is this true?

– On the one hand, the belief that one of the godparents must be married and have children, is a superstition, as well as the idea that the girl who adopted a girl from the font, either married, or that her destiny will impose its mark.

On the other hand, in this view you can see a certain kind of sobriety, if not to approach him with superstitious interpretation. Of course, it would be wise, if the godparents of the baby will be chosen by the people (or at least one of the godparents) who have sufficient experience of life, which themselves already have a skill to educate children in faith and piety who have something to share with the physical parents of the baby. And godfather look would be highly desirable.

– Is it possible godmother to be a pregnant woman?

– The statutes of the Church do not prevent a pregnant woman to be a godmother. The only thing I urge you to think about: will you have enough strength and determination to share his love for his own child with love to the perceived baby, will you have time to care about him, tips for the baby’s parents, to sometimes warm to pray for him, to bring to the temple, somehow, to be a good older friend. If you more or less confident and circumstances permit, then nothing prevents to become godmother, and in all other cases, it may be better to measure seven times before you cut once.

Review of Educational stickers for kidsGood day to all day. Recently acquired a new kind of stickers for his beloved daughter. We have not yet passed the dependency labels. Happy everywhere and all the gluing.…